Depression is a psychoneurotic disorder marked by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentrating, and feelings of dejection and hopelessness. Charles River conducts contract studies using the forced swim test to assess the efficacy of novel antidepressants.
The forced swim test measures the time spent swimming versus the time spent floating in a tall cylinder filled with water. Rats or mice will swim in the water looking for an escape route. After some time, the animal may stop swimming and will start floating. This is regarded as having "given up the search."
Treatment with desipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, decreases passivity and increases escape-related climbing activity. Treatment with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant, decreases passivity and increases swimming time.
Testing / Validation Data
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